Wow, since I earned my black belt back in June of 2018, the entire world has been ripped apart and dragged in the mud. In my previous essay, I discussed the hope that with the belt around my waist, I would be part of a brotherhood/sisterhood similar to when I was a volunteer fireman.
Fortunately that has come true, or at least as much as it could have with COVID disrupting life for the majority of the time I have been a blackbelt. I am reminded every time I strap on my belt, how much I don’t know and have yet to learn. Even with the basics, I now see how small adjustments to stances, hand positions, weight distributions can make the difference between a successful attack and/or defense combination. It feels like the start of martial arts maturity that I did not truly appreciate a few years ago. I can only imagine where I could be if COVID hadn’t stolen many months from this development. I look forward to continuing to work on continued maturity and continuing to develop not just skills, but a full complete knowledge of the art.
The black belt is not the end, but the beginning of a lifelong journey. As I continue to train, I’m constantly humbled by the depth of martial arts. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities to grow. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me.
